132 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
|[Feb, i6, 1901. 
of the most beautiful woodland stretches it has ever 
been my good fortune to see. Four miles from Moore- 
field I came upon good roads, and sailed along at a high 
rate of speed ahead of a shower which I could see to 
the south slowly coming up the valley. I arrived safely 
ahead of the shower, and, after getting my mail, I con- 
tinued on out to the home of a cousin, who lives a mile 
from here', where I received a hearty welcome. I was 
much amused to discover, during the recital of my travels 
and adventures which naturally followed my arrival, that 
the "mean old cuss," "old man Taylor," spoken of by my 
friend Dasher, is a relative of mine; and we all had a 
good laugh over the incident. 
Well ! The rest of my story is soon told. My fishing 
trip, as such, had about reached a conclusion, and the 
next four or five days were spent in dawdling along the 
road from Moorefield to Romney. twenty-seven miles 
further on, and thence home to Frostburg, stopping a 
few days at Romney and intervening points to visit rela- 
tives and renew my acquaintance with old friends m this 
region. My total showing for my four weeks' trip was 
eighty-one trout and fifty bass, and I unhesitatingly voted 
my combination bicycling-fishing cruise among the moun- 
tains one of the pleasantest and most successful outings 
I had ever enioyed. 
Flotida Black Bass. 
Tallahassee, l^'la., Feb. 4.— Mr. M. P. Riley, of Chi- 
cago, fishing on Lake Jackson, nine miles north of this 
city, on Feb. 2, with light Western bait-casting rod, 
quadruple reel and light silk line, hooked and landed an 
8-pound big-mouth black bass. He was casting a live 
frog, which he brought from Chicago, and used weedless 
hook. He sent this fish to his address in Chicago to be 
mounted, where it can be seen. Mr. T. B. Byrd, a 
prominent merchant here, verified this weight. 
E. N. Mabry. 
mml 
Fixtttfcs. 
BENCH SHOWS. 
Feb. 19-22.— New York.— Westminster Kennel Club's twenty-fifth 
annual show. Tames Mortimer, Supt. 
March 6-9.— Pittsburg, Pa.— Duquesne Kennel Club's annual 
bench show. F. S. Stedman, Sec'y. 
March 13-16.— Chicago.— Mascoutah Kennel Club's eleventh an- 
nual show. John L. Lincoln, Sec'y. 
Hydrophobia in Spitz, Eskimo and Pomeranian 
Dogfs. 
These canines are all of the same race. Dr. Robt. Bell, 
of the Dominion Geological Survey, who has spent a 
great deal of time in the Arctic Zone during the past thirty 
years, and has just completed a survey of the Great Slave 
Lake, writes as follows in regard to the Eskimo draft dogs 
which are so serviceable to the Hudson Bay Company: 
"It seems to me these dogs are afflicted with disease more 
than any other breed. Nearly all of them die off, first in 
one district, then in another, leaving hardly enough to 
breed for the next year. Hydrophobia is the great trou- 
ble. It is of a mild form, as far as danger to others is 
concerned. My Ottawa friend's fine specimen died. His 
hindquarters became paralyzed." 
This statement covers the past year. A reference to 
"Hallock's Dog Fanciers' Directory,'; page ill (1880), 
discovers the following remarks on this subject: 
"Notwithstanding his sprightly, intelligentlookandbeau- 
tiful snowy coat, the Spitz is gradually falling into dis- 
favor, owing to his snappish disposition and his liability, 
in common with all Arctic dogs, to a disease which, in 
some of its phases, resembles hydrophobia. Sir George 
Nares, the Arctic explorer, referring to the prevalence of 
the malady in the polar regions, says : 'Apparently healthy 
dogs are suddenly seized with this strange disorder, gen- 
erally failing down in fits not unlike epilepsy. * * * 
There is no recorded instance in Greenland of human 
beings who have been bitten having suffered from hydro- 
phobia, and the recovery of the animals in some instances 
is entirely opposed to the recorded experiences of true 
rabies.' 
"The Huntington Long Islander is responsible for the 
statement that a large Spitz dog named Jack, belonging 
to Capt. Bunce, of the Leonida, was picked up m the 
middle of Long Island Sound some years ago, having 
swum forty miles in pursuit of his master's vessel, which 
had left him behind. This would seem to be evidence that 
the Spitz dogs are not only good swimmers, but not averse 
to water, which Dr. Kane says the true Esquimaux dog is. 
Spitz is a contraction for Spitzbergen." 
C. Hallock. 
Sherbrooke Gttn Club* 
The fox hunters reported a poor season so far, owing 
to the depth of light snow. They do very little before 
December, as the partridges, ducks and deer have to be 
attended to. New Year's day Fred Loomis and Joe 
Walton each got a fox within an hour, the second being 
killed within a hundred yards of the first. Joe's fox 
was the largest killed for a long time. The widow 
Green's fox still lives. He has had two narrow escapes, 
and praise be, he has been seen since he got his last dose 
of BB's, apparently none the worse. Long may he live. 
He has been the hero of many a run during the past 
.six years-, and many is the good story told by his faithful 
. followers. One of them saw him cut in between the 
hounds and a little vixen, and lead off the dogs while the 
lady hid in a clump of spruces. 
Jos. G. Walton, Ass't Sec'y. 
Farmer Slate/s Uniqtte Dogf. 
"There are some odd characters among the rural pop- 
ulation of West Virginia," said Col. J. D. Butt, of that 
State. "A short while ago an engine on the Norfolk & 
Western Une ran down a small, yellow cur dog that be- 
jpnged to an old fartner named Slater, with fatal results; 
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25-FOOT CRUISING SLOOP— BODY PLAN. 
to the cur. Now, the deceased had been Farmer Slater's 
most cherished companion for years; it had followed him 
in all his wanderings, and he was as greatl}^ attached to it 
as though it had been a human being. He grieved sorely 
over his loss, and in his endeavor to find solace went to 
one of the officials of the railroad that made a premature 
end of the canine and dem.anded that another dog as 
nearly like the departed in every respect as possible 
should be given him. 
"To humor him, compliance was promised, and forth- 
with a dog to match the lost one was brought to the be- 
reaved owner. This was only a beginning, for one cur 
after another, was tendered until the number got into 
three figures. Every brute in the lot was rejected, for in 
the whole list not one was identical in form, color and 
size with the slain. If one was just right in color, he 
was a trifle too heavy or too light, and if his weight was 
satisfactory the color was not quite right. 
"Under these circumstances there was no use of the 
railway men trying to do more, and Slater brooded over 
his wron.gs. The suspicion grew that he meant to get 
revenge and he was closely watched. As a result, he was 
arrested on a charge that implicated him in an attempt 
at train wrecking, and he was sentenced to jail for one 
year." — Washington Post. 
A Fox Stratagfem. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I have just returned from North Carolina, where I 
spent two weeks with the quail, or partridge, as they are 
called there, with very satisfactor}' results. In the place 
where I was, a lot of fox hounds are kept, and they usu- 
ally have a run every week, and often succeed in bagging 
their game. One sly fox, however, was apparently too 
cunning for them, and for fifteen runs got away safely. 
Much to the hunters' surprise and bewilderment, the 
hounds always lost the scent at a sheep pasture, and 
could not strike it again. 
Finally the hunters persuaded the owner of the sheep 
to shut them up in his barn and then they gave Reynard 
another run. This time he went for the sheep pasture 
as usual, but no sheep being there, the dogs kept his 
trail, till finally they caught and killed him. It is now 
confidently believed that it was his habit on reaching this 
pasture to jump on a sheep's back and ride around until 
the hounds had passed, when he would walk home at his 
leisure. If this is not the proper explanation of this re- 
markable occurrence, perhaps you can suggest a better 
one. J- T. S. 
**Fox Htjntingf Reminiscences.*\ 
Jos. W. Shurter, wlio wrote "Fox Hunting Reminis- 
cences"' in issue of Jan. 26, is a man that I should like to 
hear more from. He has both insight and knowledge. 
The description of the killing of his first fox made a dis- 
tinct impression on me. It is a boiled down epitome of 
first experiences the world over where the human has 
the true hunting instinct that leads to success— a similar 
but superior instinct to that of the wild animal he is 
pitted again, St. J. B. Burnham. 
American Engflish Setter CIttb. 
New York, Feb. 9. — Editor Forest and Stream: The 
annual meeting of the American English Setter Club will 
be held at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Feb. 
20, at 4 p. m. 
By order of the President, 
J. M. Taylor, Sec'y. 
fdchting. 
Notice. 
All communications mtended for Forest and Stream should 
always be addressed to the Forest and Stream Publishmg Co., and 
not to any individual connected with the paper. 
25ft, Cruising Sloop. 
The large number of boats of about 25ft. waterline 
length that have been ordered this season shows how 
great the demand there is for boats of this size. The 
modern boat of about 25ft. waterline length, unless de- 
signed solely for racing, whether keel or centerboard, is 
about the smallest boat on which any degree of com- 
fort may be had for cruising and still is not large enough 
to make" it necessary to carry a paid hand. The_2S-footer, 
pl(i,ns of which appear in this issue, was designed and 
built by Mr. William H. Hand, Jr., of New Bedford. 
Mass., for Mr. Robert W. Sayre, of New York citv. and 
will be used for cruising on the western end of ' Long 
Island Sound. She is of a type that offers the greatest 
amount of comfort combined with very good speed that 
it is possible to secure in a boat of this size. Mr. Hand 
has experimented carefully with this class of boats, and 
has found them seaworthy in the extreme and able to go 
anywhere along our coast in ordinary summer weather. 
The headroom, in the cabin is excellent, there beino- some 
Sft. 7in. _ _ 
Her dimensions are as follows: 
Length — 
Over all 40ft. ij^in. 
L.W.L 25ft. 
Overhang — 
Bow 6ft. 9 in. 
Stern gft. 4^in. 
Beam — 
Extreme nft. 3 in. 
L.W.L Toft. 9 in. 
Draft- 
To rabbet ift. 10 in. 
Extreme 4ft. 6 in. 
Board down 8ft. 10 in. 
Freeboard — 
Bow 3ft. 7 in. 
Taffrail 2ft. 7 in. 
Least : 2ft. 4^in. 
Sail Area — 
Mainsail 788 sq. ft. 
Jit* • ' 178 sq. ft. 
Total sail area 966 sq. ft. 
Displacement 13 3oolbs. 
Outside ballast 4,50olbs. 
The keel is of oak sided I4in. and moulded 3;^in. 
amidships, tapering at the ends. The deadwood is of 
yellow pine. Timbers of oak bent to form 1^4 by i^in. 
spaced loin. on centers. Double timbers at chainplates. 
Beam clamps are of oak sided 2in. and moulded 3in. amid- 
ships, tapering to 2in. by 2in. at the ends. Bilge stringers 
are of yellow pine, two on each side, 2j4m. by 2^in. from 
end to end. Planking is of yellow pine to finish full lin. 
Deck is of white pine, 2in. by i^in. Covering board is of 
oak. Cabin house top, 3in. by %in. white pine covered 
with canvas. Cockpit staving, caprail, wheel box, com- 
panion slide, skylight and fore hatch of mahogany. Cabin 
is finished in cypress and varnished oak. Hull to be 
painted white with gold stripe and small scroll on bow 
and stern. Toilet room fitted with Sand's W- C. and 
folding Avash basin. The arrangement of the cabin is 
wholly the owner's idea, the transoms being extended un- 
der the cockpit floor to gain full 12ft. in length, so that 
two men can sleep on a side -withotit overlapping. 
A Plucky Crew and a Win* 
Easton, Md., Feb. 2. — Editor Forest and Stream: At 
the annual meeting of the Chesapeake Bay Y. C. the fol- 
lowing officers were elected for the ensuing year: Com.. 
Col. F. Carroll Goldsborough ; Vice-Corn., Dr. Edward 
R. Trippe; Rear-Com., Col. Oswald Tilghman; Sec'y. 
Col. Jacob G. Morris; Treas., Mr. Alfred L. Sharp; 
Board of Governors, Col. Edward Lloyd, Mr. Zenas 
Bums and Mr. B. Harrington. 
I find that no report of our fourteenth open annual re- 
gatta was sent to yon, and as an unusual circumstance 
happened during that race, it may be of interest to your 
readers even at this late date. Date of race, Aug. 19, 
1900; open to Chesapeake canoes of champion class 
(boats between 30ft. and 36ft. water line) ; boats entered, 
J. B. Harrison, sailed by H. A. Hinnaman; Wm. V. Wil- 
son, sailed by O. Hartge; Island Blossom, sailed by John 
Gibson; Ma Belle, sailed by Capt. Mansfield; Columbia, 
sailer unknown; time allowance, two seconds per inch in 
tAventy miles on Avaterline: distance, sixteen and one-half 
nautical miles; wind light N.N.W., dying out and com- 
ing out from S.W. and S. Weather fair, no sea. Elapsed 
time, 6:51:43. Start flying, wdth three minutes to cross 
the line. Reach to first buoy, thence to windward to 
second buoy; thence, owing to wind shifting, to wind- 
ward to third hotly; off the Avind to fourth bouy, and a 
reach to the line. The event to which I allude was as 
follows : Boats got off in following order : Island Blos- 
som., Wilson, Harrison, Ma Belle and Columbia. The 
three leading boats turned the first buoy almost together; 
there the Avind grew very light and baffling. The Ma 
Belle and Columbia withdrew. The Island Blossom, one 
of the fastest of her class, seemed, from bad luck in 
catching the light puffs going, to be out of it. The Har- 
rison and Wilson Avere afraid to leave each other, and 
finally sailed into a c^ltP §treak under th,^ l^^ of a woods. 
